March 29-30 NFL Regional Combine, Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mills, Maryland.April 7 Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2013 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.

April 12-13 Super Regional Combine, Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan.

April 21 Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

May 2 Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign Offer Sheets.

May 7 Deadline for Prior Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents.

May 8-10 2014 NFL Draft, New York City, New York.

May 19-21 NFL Spring League Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.

June 2 Deadline for Prior Club to send "June 1 Tender" to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents. If the player has not signed a Player Contract with a Club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a Player Contract from that date until the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, at 4:00 p.m., New York time, only with his Prior Club.

June 2 Deadline for Prior Club to send "June 1 Tender" to its unsigned Restricted Free Agents who received a Qualifying Offer for a Right of First Refusal Only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA's "June 15 Tender" provision.

June 16 Deadline for club to withdraw Qualifying Offer to Restricted Free Agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting "June 15 Tender" of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player's prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged).

June 22-28 Rookie Symposium, Aurora, Ohio.

July 15 At 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for any Club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multi-year contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his Prior Club for the 2014 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the Club's last regular season game.

Mid-July Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for Rookies and First-Year Players beginning seven days prior to the club's earliest permissible mandatory reporting date for veteran players.

Veteran players (defined as a player with at least one pension-credited season) other than quarterbacks or "injured players" (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may report to a club's preseason training camp no earlier than 15 days prior to the club's first scheduled preseason game or July 15, whichever is later.

Veteran quarterbacks and injured players may be required to report to the club's preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all Rookies and First-Year players.

A three-day acclimation period will apply to players who are on a club's roster up to and including the mandatory veteran reporting date. Players who join the roster after that date may practice (including wearing pads) and play immediately after passing a physical.

July 22 Signing Period ends for Unrestricted Free Agents to whom a "June 1 Tender" was made by Prior Club. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, Prior Club has exclusive negotiating rights. (* or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later.)

July 22 Signing Period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, Prior Club has exclusive negotiating rights.

May 8th is the draft. so how is Voluntary Mini camp on 6-8. Is it without the coaches ?

Also, Off-season program means off the field stuff ? classroom and Gym ?

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This might help.

Seven teams open offseason workouts on Monday

Mike Florio on April 3, 2014, 4:02 PM EDT

Before 2011, all NFL teams would have opened their offseason workout programs by now. This year, no one has.

On Monday, seven will.

Teams with new coaches can get started on April 7. Accordingly, the Browns, Lions, Texans, Vikings, Buccaneers, Titans, and Redskins will. The rest of the teams will open up their offseason programs on April 21 or 22.

New teams also can enhance their one three-day mandatory minicamp with a three-day voluntary veteran minicamp held at some point before the draft.

Apart from the minicamps, the offseason program has three phases. Phase One, two weeks in length, consists of strength and condition and rehab exercises only. Coaches cant be involved, other than strength and conditioning coaches. Footballs arent permitted, except that quarterbacks can throw to receivers as long as they arent covered.

Phase Two, three weeks in length, can include individual player instruction and drills and team practice without live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills. Teams can run offensive or defensive plays, without a defense or offense on the other side of the line of scrimmage. No helmets can be worn.

Phase Three, which last four weeks, includes up to 10 days of organized team practice activity, also known as OTAs. There can be no live contact, but team drills (7-on7, 9-on-9, 11-on-11) are permitted. There also can be no one-on-one offense vs. defense drills and no one-on-one special teams drills.

In addition to individually negotiated workout bonuses, players may receive a daily payment of $175 for participating in workouts or attending classroom instruction. During the offseason workout period (with the exception of the 10 days of OTAs), players cant be at the teams facility for more than four hours per day, cant be at the facility more than four days per week, and cant be on the field for more than 90 minutes per day.

The offseason restrictions reduce significantly the amount of time NFL players must work, but it also limits their ability to work as much as they want to work. Some players want to do more because they want to get better at their craft. In order to avoid coaches who may abuse the rules, the rules have become so restrictive that players who want more instruction or coaching cant get it.

It forces players who want extra on-field work to get together among themselves, usually at facilities not nearly as nice as NFL team facilities. It also forces players to risk suffering injuries away from the team facility, which then allows the teams to elect not to pay the players for so-called non-football injuries.

While its good that players arent forced to spend more time at work, its unfortunate that those who want to do so cant. And thats primarily cause the NFLPA realizes that, without artificial external limits, some if not many coaches will find a way to put the squeeze on players to choose to do more than they really want to do.

After three months apart, the Texans get together on Monday morning for their first offseason conditioning work.

The final game of 2013 was a December 29 loss at Tennessee. The team cleaned out lockers the next morning, and scattered. Many have been working out and getting treatments at Reliant Stadium since, but Monday will be the first time the squad is together with the new coaching staff in place.

"Its an opportunity really for the coaches that havent been around these players to get to know
them," general manager Rick Smith said. "Its for these players to come in and understand what the new system looks like and what the expectation and how were are going to function and conduct our business."

Because the Texans hired Bill O'Brien, they get to start two weeks earlier than teams with incumbent head coaches. O'Brien and his new staff have pored over the roster, on video. Now, they get to see the players working out. Second-year safety

-- Coaches can’t be involved, other than strength and conditioning coaches. Footballs aren’t permitted, except that quarterbacks can throw to receivers as long as they aren’t covered.

-- Teams can run offensive or defensive plays, without a defense or offense on the other side of the line of scrimmage. No helmets can be worn.

-- There can be no live contact, but team drills are permitted. There also can be no one-on-one offense vs. defense drills and no one-on-one special teams drills.

-- players can’t be at the team’s facility for more than four hours per day, can’t be at the facility more than four days per week, and can’t be on the field for more than 90 minutes per day.

It forces players who want extra on-field work to get together among themselves, usually at facilities not nearly as nice as NFL team facilities. It also forces players to risk suffering injuries away from the team facility, which then allows the teams to elect not to pay the players for so-called “non-football injuries.”

The action will be limited. Only strength and conditioning coaches will be allowed on the field the first two weeks, and the Texans' first voluntary minicamp isn't until May 6-8.

But [C Chris] Myers said players must buy in on day one under O'Brien. A strong showing of veterans Monday will prove the team is moving in the right direction, he said.

"I'm sure there's going to be a lot of turnout for that. I hope 100 percent, especially after last season," Myers said. "Everyone's committed 100 percent. We expect that. If not, there'll be some talking to do to some guys."

The Texans lacked player leadership in 2013, and the locker room weakened as 14 consecutive losses piled up, with some players fending for themselves and others eyeing their next contract with another team. Myers said the O'Brien era represents a clean slate and there's no time to waste for a squad that was the worst in the NFL last season.

"A lot of guys have been in and out of the (practice) facility and met a lot of the coaching staff. It's an exciting time in Houston right now," said Myers, who is entering his 10th NFL season and has played in all 16 regular-season games with the Texans during the last six years. "When you're in the NFL, if you have a close-minded personality - not open to having this new regime come in and implement its scheme - it's not your spot. You've got to be able to have all the openness to be able to learn and treat it like it's brand new. I'm treating it like it's my rookie year all over again."

Fitzgerald served as Pen State Director of Strength and Conditioning for Football from 2012-13 after spending the previous three seasons (2009-11) overseeing the University of South Carolina strength & conditioning program.

Prior to his time at South Carolina, Fitzgerald held the title of Director of Strength and Conditioning at Harvard, where the football team won back-to-back Ivy League titles over his final two years. While at Harvard, he oversaw the training of all 41 NCAA teams, the largest number in the country.

Fitzgerald served as the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at his alma mater, the University of Maryland, from 2000-05. At Maryland he directed the training for men's basketball, men's lacrosse, women's volleyball, and wrestling while assisting the training for football.

He began his professional career at The Catholic University of America as its first Director of Strength and Conditioning from 1997-99. He then logged a six-month stint as a graduate assistant at Arizona State University before returning to his alma mater.

A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Fitzgerald holds a double degree in political science and history from Maryland, graduating in 1997. He was a three-time letterwinner (1994-96) for the Terrapin football squad.

Fitzgerald is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through both the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) and through the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).

In May 2010, Fitzgerald earned the certification of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa), the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession.

Hayes came to Houston from Penn State, where he served as assistant strength and conditioning coach for football under Craig Fitzgerald for the 2012-13 seasons.

Prior to Penn State, Hayes served as a graduate assistant football and strength and conditioning coach at Jacksonville University from 2010-11. At Jacksonville, he was the varsity outside linebackers coach and junior varsity defensive coordinator in addition to assisting with strength and conditioning program.

A native of Merritt Island, Fla., Hayes is a Harvard University graduate (2009) and played linebacker on the Crimson football team. As a senior, he garnered second team All-Ivy League recognition. In the first six months of 2010, Hayes was a player/coach for the L'Hospitalet Pioneers of the European Football League, helping the team win the Spanish national championship (LNFA) and a top 10 ranking among all European teams.

Pleasant came to Houston from Kansas City, where he served as defensive line coach from 2010-2012. He served an NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Chiefs in 2009, working closely with the clubs defensive ends, before being promoted to his role as defensive line coach.

In his three seasons overseeing the defensive line, the Chiefs defensive front accounted for 25.5 sacks and 71 quarterback pressures.

Pleasant owns 14 seasons of NFL playing experience as a defensive lineman, seeing duty in 202 regular season games (157 starts) with Cleveland (1990-95), Baltimore (1996), Atlanta (1997), the New York Jets (1998-99), San Francisco (2000) and New England (2001-03). He is one of just five active NFL assistant coaches to own 200 or more games of playing experience.

It was during his tenure as a player with the Jets that Pleasant began his association with current Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who served as the teams defensive line coach. He finished his career with 598 tackles (407 solo), 58.0 sacks (-345.5 yards), two INTs, 13 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

The Century, Fla., native started seven career playoff games, owning Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII rings from his tenure with New England. Pleasant produced 26 tackles (25 solo), a sack and a pass defensed in the postseason. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick (73rd overall) of Cleveland in the 1990 NFL Draft.

Pleasant was a three-year letterman at Tennessee State, recording 140 tackles (88 solo), 32.0 tackles for loss, 21.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and five passes defensed. He joined a long line of Tennessee State defensive ends to earn Pro Bowl honors in the NFL, including Richard Dent, Claude Humphrey and Ed "Too Tall" Jones. Pleasant earned All-Ohio Valley Conference accolades as a senior. He was an all-state performer as a defensive lineman at Century High School, where he also played basketball and baseball.

But [C Chris] Myers said players must buy in on day one under O'Brien. A strong showing of veterans Monday will prove the team is moving in the right direction, he said.

"I'm sure there's going to be a lot of turnout for that. I hope 100 percent, especially after last season," Myers said. "Everyone's committed 100 percent. We expect that. If not, there'll be some talking to do to some guys."

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Good to know the team hasn't given up on 2014. Rebuilding or not, doesn't mean we have to be losing. We're not playing the best of the best in 2014, our core group should be able to win quite a few games this season.

Winning is a habit & whatever new guys we bring in, I'd like for them to start picking up that habit right away.

“It’s completely different,” Yates said. “Just as far as the weight room, it was completely different. There’s a 40-yard turf in the middle of the weight room, all the squat racks on the one side look like and Erector Set. There’s so many different things we can do and we haven’t even scratched the surface of all the stuff that we’re going to be doing.”
...
Fitzgerald is known for being a fiery, in-your-face-type of coach.

“That’s exactly what he is,” Yates said. “He’s a super high-energy guy and that’s what you need in a weight room staff. All of his assistants are the same way. Very good at encouraging, not putting you down type stuff, but stuff that gets you better. A lot of it today wasn’t that type of stuff but we’ve been working out the last couple of weeks. You can see the fire and the energy that he brings into his job and I think that’s going to carry over with all the guys.”

After completing phase one of their voluntary offseason conditioning program, the Texans are getting a week off for Easter while the front office prepares for the arrivals of multiple NFL Draft prospects.

Teams are allowed to bring in a maximum of 30 draft prospects. The Texans have the first overall pick in the draft thats May 9-10.
...Phase two of the offseason program begins on April 28. From that point through the rest of the program, coach Bill OBrien and his staff can be on the field with the players.

A voluntary minicamp begins tomorrow for the Houston Texans, and we'll finally get access from the team to players. None of Houston's voluntary conditioning practices came with media access and so far most of our conversations with the Texans have come from charity events held by various players.

This three-day practice is a pre-draft camp the Texans are authorized to have because they have a new coaching staff. Tuesday and Wednesday's are open to the media, while Thursday's is not because of the draft.